Call of Duty MW:3 Are you Ready?

0 Flares Twitter 0 Tweet Facebook 0 Google+ 0 StumbleUpon 0 Buffer 0 Buffer 0 Flares ×

As MW:3 starts to hit the shelves I decided to post my (yes biased) opinions, thoughts, and gripes about what looks to be the most anticipated and highly debated Call of Duty to day. So have fun, sit back, and start reading.

Campaign / Single Player

With the official launch trailer we get to see that the shit has hit the fan. They are going to hunt down Makarov all around the world blah blah blah. As you can tell I’m not huge into the story arch of COD. I enjoyed the Campaign in Modern Warfare: 2 – and they did a fantastic job with it. But I end up trying to tear through it as quickly as possible and then I make the game stay defaulted to multi-player. The last Campaign I really enjoyed was in World at War, it had a certain gritty feeling and I liked the story line. (Biased opinion remember?) Of course with all that being said it looks like the folks over at Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer have pulled out all the stops and this will probably be the craziest Campaign mode yet.

Oh… some things you should note if your thinking of working your gun skills with this mode? The gun sway/kick is not the same as it will be in Multi Player!

Spec Ops

I’ve been reading in the community about this and there are the group that cries “ZOMBIES!!!!” and then there is the rest of us. I’m personally fucking TIRED of Zombies. Now it’s not even Treyarch’s fault. But with the Walking Dead, Zombieland, Sean of the Dead, Michael Jackson’s Thriller video, and the 2 billion other movies/books/tv shows out there I’m done with zombies.

I’m personally looking forward to this mode of game play. Although I haven’t really delved too deep – at least this time it’s not just a stupid Co-Op mode where you play a part of the Campaign. This time it’s a true separate mode of the game. But again I hear rumors – if your trying to get your shot down using this game mode before jumping into MP? They have ‘dumbed down’ the guns a bit here too.

From what I can interpret from watching the video – this is sort of (barely) like Zombie mode – you run around and try and survive for as long as you can. As you go along in the game there are perks you can get to help wipe the hordes.. er squads of enemies that are coming after you. On the trailer you can see a perk where you get your own squad of badasses to assist you in fending off the enemy. We’ll have to wait and see how well the AI works. In Black Ops AI was horrid in Combat mode (until you put them to Hardened then they were the goddamned Terminator who could foresee your every move.).

Introduction of COD Elite

Yet another way to milk the franchise or a better way to integrate the way you play the game? I’ve read a ton about this and watched more than my fair share of youtube on this. And personally? If you bought the hardened edition – your going to have a better edge over those who haven’t. Sure you can still join COD Elite – but you’ll have to go through the hassle of spending another xx amount of dollars to sign up.

From what I’ve read and seen about COD Elite are a few things:

You get any DLC content as soon as it is available. If you signed up for the first year (usually the life of a COD series game) you’ll get this content immediately. This means if they decide to add anything to the game you’ll get it pushed to your console ASAP. This could be anything from different game modes, spec op content, or new maps for multi player.

They are also touting the only way to take part in special promotions, giveaways, tournaments etc… is to join COD Elite.

BUT – the other cool things are:

The “Improve” feature allows you to check out your stats online, look at the different guns, build outs for classes, and a metric shit ton of other information to better assist you to becoming a better player. (Although the only way to become a better player really is to um… play the game!)

Check out the different MP Maps and review routes and come up with strategies to help you from getting ‘naded in the first minute of the match.
Review your progression online.
Review what other players are doing so you can make adjustments to your classes.
Create Clan pages and setup custom matches and fight with other Clans
Upload your custom game type so other players can try it out!

And recently they introduced that COD Elite has Facebook integration?!?! Jeebus H Christ. Ok I’ll hold my tongue about this for now.

I’m sure there are some features I’m missing… but you all get the general idea.

Multi Player

I’d say about 99% of the folks playing Call of Duty are only really giving a shit about one thing. MULTI PLAYER. They will insert disk, wait impatiently in their Mountain Dew and Dorrito induced sugar high as it installs, and go straight into Multiplayer as fast as they can mash the buttons on their controller.

And I happen to be one of them (minus the mountain dew – can’t understand how you drink that sugar piss).

Near the end of Modern Warfare 2 – I was so looking forward to Call of Duty: Black Ops I was sorely tempted to take the disk, toss it in the microwave, and then after it was fried to go into the backyard and take a big steaming dump on it. I was that pissed. If you look on youtube I’m sure someone has probably done just that. It was hugely frustrating at the end as a lot of lobbies featured hacked players, boosters, noob toobers with scavenger laying out a veritable minefield.

Well, as some has dubbed Modern Warfare 2.5 – after reading and watching a metric shit ton of content about it – I can assure you this is indeed Modern Warfare 3.

Although they have taken the same engine – they have hopefully tweaked it enough to make it an entirely different experience. Let’s take a look at what is going to make this game different from MW: 2

Yes it is still going to “feel” like Modern Warfare: 2. From what I’ve watched and read about it will still have the same vibrant colors, the guns will still have that “pew pew” gun sounds I personally loathe. BUT.. it will have:

Introduction of different guns.
Hopefully the death of the noob toober.
Introduction of Bouncing Betties, EMP Grenades, and other types of equipment.
A ton of different perks, killstreak rewards, and equipment.
The death of kill streaks and the introduction of point streaks.
Breakdown of different “Strike Packages” – Support, Assault, and Specialist
Introduction of ”Gun Experience”
(Re) Introduction of the Prestige Shop
Customizable Classes that not only allow you to setup your classes the way you want to, but also the Point Streaks for that particular Class!
Maps that are going to be smaller and tighter, allowing for faster game play and hopefully less camping.
Introduction of the new game mode “Kill Confirmed”.

Point Streaks

The biggest change to MW: 3 will be the end of the kill streaks. With the introduction of point streaks you will get your perk based on not only your kills, but you can get them from doing virtually anything in the game. Capturing, defending, assisting, and killing all earn you points toward your next streak/bonus. This is an effort to reward all players and try and balance the game from the kill whores who ended up stacking kill streaks and getting a nuke in 45 seconds.

Oh and a major renovation is the ability (not confirmed at this time) to choose which perk you wish to use. So instead of getting stuck in the same old rut of having to use that UAV, then Predator Missle, and then finally your final perk (Helicopter, Copter, etc..) you can choose which one you wish to use first and hold on to the others until it is strategically beneficial for you.

Strike Packages

Along with the death of kill streaks – your Point Streaks are broken down into different sub classes. Support, Assault, and Specialist.

Support

This is the class that if your fairly new to Call Of Duty I would suggest you run. Sure you will only get rewards such as UAV, Enhanced UAV, Counter UAV, and other support type perks – the good news is that for every point you earn you keep. Even if you die. And remember you earn your points for not only getting the kill, but for any assist, or any objective you capture in games such as Domination, Headquarters, S&D, or Capture the Flag

Assault

This is the one where it is going to feel like your old and comfortable Call of Duty. The way it works is almost the same as prior games. Get the points earn the reward that causes more damage. I’m unclear if point streaks stack like they did in MW:2 though. I truly hope they do not. The bad news is… if you die you start over. I “think” you can keep getting point streaks as you progress in the match. (Shit, I’ll have to research this a bit more and get back to you.)

Specialist

This is the one that kind of scares the shit out of me. Every series of points you get from kills (and I imagine from the other aforementioned ways?) you get another player perk. So by the end of a series of kills you could have basically every player perk in the game. So you yourself are the point streak reward! If your one of those players who can get a really high kill count, this is mostly likely the one you are going to be using over the Assault class.

We’ll have to see how this all balances out when the game is released. My personal thoughts are I will most likely run the Support or Assault class (I’m an average player.) to try and get more points to prestige with.

Weapon Proficiency

In Modern Warfare 2 you gained gun perks by performing certain tasks to get the next perk in the list. This time around it using a similar method found in Battlefield 3 (hark! I said the dread game – shoot me). To earn the next gun perk/reward you have to gain experience while using that particular gun. The further along you get with that weapon the better potential it will have. With the changes MW:3 introduces with gun sway and most likely hit detection – this is going to be crucial to help you win those 1v1 gun battles.

Below is the list of proficiencies you can get for weapons in MW:3

KICK – Reduces weapon recoil.
IMPACT – Increases bullet penetration. This works just like the FMJ attachment in Modern Warfare 2.
ATTACHMENTS – Allows two attachments to be added to the weapon.
FOCUS – Reduces flinching when you get shot by the enemy.
SPEED – Increases your speed when you have the weapon equipped. This only works with Light Machine Guns and Sniper Rifles.
BREATH – Allows you to steady your weapon by holding your breath for a limited time.
STABILITY – Reduces weapon sway when aiming.
RANGE – Increases the weapon’s range. Doesn’t work with Light Machine Guns and Sniper Rifles.
MELEE – Faster melee, but only works with Sub Machine Guns.
DAMAGE – Increases damage. Shotguns only

As you can see most of this is pretty basic. The only one I kind of worry about is the MELEE as it might bring back the dreaded Commando back to the game. The ones I look forward to using are Kick and Stability to assist with keeping your weapon pointed in the direction you want it to. (But then again I’m a rusher who tends to pray and spray – your selections are going to be different dependent upon your play style). One last thing to note is the introduction of BREATH – for use with other weapons than sniper rifles. Again I think the folks at IW are trying to keep the campers down with the introduction of potentially terribad weapon sway.

Equipment Changes/Additions

MW: 3 introduces some standards and some new interesting twists on equipment in the game. We will see how this throws the game. (Highlighted the new equipment in RED to make it easier to gloss through)

Lethal

FRAG – Cookable fragmentation grenade that causes lethal radius damage.
SEMTEX – Works just like the FRAG, but it sticks to the first thing it touches, including other players. It has a set timer and cannot be cooked.
THROWING KNIFE – The THROWING KNIFE is a one-hit kill. The knife can be retrieved and used again. (bye bye tomahawk :-( ) I don’t know if it will bounce like the tomahawk did – but that is probably a good thing.
BOUNCING BETTY – When triggered, the BOUNCING BETTY launches into the air and explodes. The blast can be avoided by going prone quickly. (Can we say tactical?)
CLAYMORE – Anti-personnel mine that’s triggered once the enemy gets close to it.
C4 – Charge of plastic explosives, set off manually with a detonator.

Non Lethal/Tactical

FLASH GRENADE – Temporarily blinds the enemy.
CONCUSSION GRENADE – Slows enemy movement and also disorients them. It can also be used to temporarily disable enemy equipment and turrets.
SCRAMBLER – Once deployed, it scrambles the enemy radar within its effective radius.
EMP GRENADE – Destroys enemy equipment and electronics within its blast radius.
SMOKE GRENADE – Creates a thick smoke screen.
TROPHY SYSTEM – Once deployed, it deflects explosives, e.g., missiles that are launched at its direction.
TACTICAL INSERTION – Once deployed, you can respawn on it after you die. The TACTICAL INSERTION can be destroyed by the enemy.
PORTABLE RADAR – Shows enemy movement within its radius once it has been deployed.

Deathstreaks

MW:3 is re-introducing Deathstreaks back into the game. Might as well learn what they are so you can start defending against them. Personally I am highly disappointed that they are having these in the game again. I absolutely loathe Martyrdom. But on a high note there is no more Second Chance!

Juiced (4 Deaths) – Allows you to move faster for a few seconds after respawning.
Revenge (5 Deaths) – Shows the position of the last enemy that killed you on the radar.
Final Stand (4 Deaths) – Once killed, you can still crawl around and use your primary weapon. One hit from the enemy ends Final Stand.
Martyrdom (4 Deaths) – Drop a live grenade once killed.
Dead Man’s Hand (6 Deaths) – Like Final Stand, but instead you will have two C4′s in your hands.
Hollow Points (5 Deaths) – Works like Stopping Power by giving extra bullet damage.

Class Perks

MW:3 has swapped the slots around and slightly modified things to try and keep the balance in check. We will have to see how this works. As with every Call of Duty you will see the “try hard” class pop out after the first month or so of game play. I’m just happy to see that there is NO SECOND CHANCE!

Perk Slot 1

Recon / Recon Pro – Explosive damage marks target on radar.
Pro Ability: Bullet damage marks target on radar.
Sleight Of Hand / Sleight Of Hand Pro – Reload your weapons faster.

Pro Ability: Swap your weapons faster.

Blind Eye / Blind Eye Pro – Enemy air support and sentries can’t detect you.

Pro Ability: Faster launcher lock-on + extra damage vs. enemy air support.

Extreme Conditioning / Extreme Conditioning Pro – Allows you to sprint longer.

Pro Ability: Climb obstacles faster.

Scavenger / Scavenger Pro – Replenishes your ammunition when you walk over scavenger bags that are dropped by players when they die.

Pro Ability: Extra starting magazines.

Perk Slot 2

Quickdraw / Quickdraw Pro – Allows you to aim down the sight faster.

Pro Ability: Use equipment and grenades faster.

Blast Shield / Blast Shield Pro – Greatly reduces explosive damage.

Pro Ability: Makes you immune to Stun and Flash Grenades.

Hardline / Hardline Pro – Reduces the amount of kills required for killstreaks by one.

Pro Ability: Two assists add one kill towards your next killstreak. Deathstreaks require one less death.

Assassin / Assassin Pro – Makes you undetectable by UAV, thermal, Heartbeat Sensor and Portable Radar.

Pro Ability: Makes you immune to Counter-UAV and EMP. Enemies won’t see a red crosshair or name when targeting you.

Overkill / Overkill Pro – Carry two primary weapons.

Pro Ability: Your 2nd primary weapon can be equipped with 2 attachments.

Perk Slot 3

Marksman / Marksman Pro – Allows you to identify enemies from farther away.

Pro Ability: Hold your breath for even longer when steadying a weapons scope.

Stalker / Stalker Pro – Faster movement while aiming down the sight.

Pro Ability: Delays enemy Claymores.

Sitrep / Sitrep Pro – Highlights enemy explosives and Tactical Insertions.

Pro Ability: Makes enemy footsteps louder.

Steady Aim / Steady Aim Pro – Increases hip-fire accuracy.

Pro Ability: Allows you to aim down the sight faster after sprinting.

Dead Silence / Dead Silence Pro – Makes you silent.

Pro Ability: You don’t take any damage from falling.

Weapons

As with all of the Call of Duty series there is a large list of weapons. In MW:3 they have completely changed it up and there are too many to list.

If you REALLY want to check out all of the different weapon changes/additions – I’d suggest going to The Modern Warfare 3 (unofficial) website to check them out.

But you wont’ know what really works for you until you get on the sticks and start messing around online with the different guns.

New Game Mode

MW:3 introduces the new game mode “Kill Confirmed” Pretty much a team death match game with a twist. You get points from collecting the enemies dog tags after killing them. And you can retrieve a downed team mates dog tags as well. The team that collects the most tags wins. It will be interesting to check out.

Prestige Shop

Modern Warfare 3 is re-introducing the Prestige Shop. Although rumors are flying around the intarwebs about how it works. The basics are this: If you have prestiged in MW:2 or Black Ops you will get ONE token from each game. These tokens can be used for various perks once you have Prestiged in Modern Warfare 3. What the specific rewards are is not set in stone as of this writing. I do know you can get 2 hours of Double XP. Or you can get a permanently set class perk that will carry you through all the prestige’s. And you can get an additional Class spot per Prestige. But… use those tokens wisely – they won’t be easy to come by!

Final Thoughts

Whew! That was over 3,000 words to cover just one game? Fuck….

Anyways – the haters are going to hate. And I want to be one of them. But it does look like Infinity Ward and Sledge hammer have pulled out the punches to try and bring us a new version of a series that is starting to get a little warn around the edges. The community as much as they love the series are starting to get restless with the last two games in the series having their various problems. Let’s hope that IW/Sledgehammer has resolved most of these issues and actually tries to stay INVOLVED and fixes the problems as they happen.

Good luck fraggers – see you online in less than a week!

Links to the Official MW:3 Videos: